


Glitz and Glanz Empire

by Grumpy_Bubble_Tea



Category: Bravely Default (Video Game) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Modern AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-10 13:17:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15950138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grumpy_Bubble_Tea/pseuds/Grumpy_Bubble_Tea
Summary: Modern AU; Series of drabbles all based in the same AU, because I couldn't think of a genuine plot to follow, but I really wanted to create more content for this beautiful, yet tragically small fandom. This'll focus mainly on the Glanz Empire, because they're my favorite Bravely characters out of both games.





	1. I Want You To Be Mine, Sugarcake

Angelo took a seat by the oven, waiting for the pastry to finish baking. The timer was almost done. He removed his tall, white hat, setting on the wooden table, and watched the oven with his bright blue eyes. It was a red velvet cake, baked for one person and one person only. 

Aimee. 

For months now, he'd been thinking of her more than usual. Loving her smile, loving the way she spoke. Even on the worst of days, he lit up thinking of her. She had beautiful, chocolate brown skin, red, velvet-like eyes, and hair, the color of it reminding him of the buttercream he'd put on cakes and cupcakes. He found it adorable, how much shorter she was than him, and the way she called him, "Darlin'," was the best thing in the world. With her deep, New York accent, and her confident and amazing personality, there wasn't much for him to dislike about her at all. The only problem here was that he didn't tell her that. He couldn't work up the courage to do so. 

Angelo watched as the timer finished, beeping loudly to get his attention. He slipped on the blue oven mitts he'd gotten from Aimee and opened the oven door, taking the cake out and setting it on the kitchen table. The sweet smell of the red confection quickly filled the room, making him smile as he closed the oven and removed his mitts. He'd have to give the cake a few minutes to cool down before starting to decorate it. In preparation, he put out an assortment of frosting to choose from, as well as edible pearls to put on the cake. Aimee always insisted that if the cake wasn't for a special occasion, there wasn't any point in, "making it all fancy," but he liked to put his best foot forward for her. 

He allowed his creation a moment to cool off, and then began decorating, first covering it in a smooth layer of white, vanilla-flavored frosting. When he finished, he added dollops of the frosting, in the shape of closed stars, around the edge of the top of the cake, with equal spacing between each of them. Finally, he filled the spaces between the dollops with edible pearls, and then looked down at the cake, admiring it. Just as he began to clean up his cooking space, putting away the ingredients he had used, and washing the utensils he'd taken out, a tap could be heard on the window. 

Now, there'd been several smaller taps on the window, due to the rain falling outside. Each drop hit the glass, making a small sound, but it'd grown into a white noise over time, and Angelo hadn't even noticed the fact that it was still raining. This tap was much louder, and obviously caused by a stronger force. He looked out the window of the share house he was staying in, and noticed her. 

His, "Sugarcake," as he liked to address her, in his mind, of course. He was too nervous to call her that to her face yet. She must've thrown a rock at the window to get his attention. 

Aimee gave him a sweet smile, that made him melt on the inside. Angelo felt his cheeks warm up. She waved to him, and he waved back. At her side, a young boy was watching him, with bright, blue eyes and dark hair. It was Mr. Grace's son, Revenant. It seemed like Aimee was babysitting him again, for what had to be the third time that month. Both where dressed in rain coats, and jeans, but Rev was the only one wearing rain boots. Aimee was holding a transparent, bubble umbrella over the two of them. Angelo motioned for the two to come inside, out of the rain, and within minutes, there were coming in the front door of the building. They removed their shoes at the door, and walked into the kitchen, where Revenant excitedly took a seat at the table. 

"Did you bake a cake, Mr. Angelo!?" 

"Yes, I did, Rev." He lightly moved the cake away from the child, so he couldn't reach it. 

"Aw, c'mon, darlin', give 'im a slice." Aimee took off her rain coat and hung it up, by the front door. 

Angelo sighed. "... Don't you want one too, Aimee?" 

"Yeah, but gimmie a moment to change outta these pants." She motioned to the cuffs of her jeans, down by her ankles, which were soaked in rain water when Revenant convinced her to jump into a puddle with him. Was it a good idea? No. But was it a fun idea? Yes, extremely so. Angelo nodded, and Aimee left the room. Revenant's curiousity-filled gaze scanned the room, before his eyes fell back onto the cake, and then onto Angelo. 

"... Are you and Miss Aimee married?" 

Angelo, who was standing by the oven, taking a sip of the tea he'd made himself earlier nearly choked on it. He covered his mouth and watched the child with disbelief. "Wh-What!? No, of course we aren't! What gave you the idea that we were?" 

"Daddy said you like her." 

"She's a friend of mine, Rev, of course I like her." 

"He said you _like_ -like her." 

"... What does that even mean?" He set the white mug down on the kitchen counter, with the tea bag still in it. 

"That..." He chuckled childishly, "You're in _love_ with her, and you wanna marry her." 

"Well, tell your Daddy to stop filling your head with nonsense. I'm not in love with her, nor do I want to marry her. If you want a slice of cake, I suggest you quiet down and keep your head out of adult business." 

Revenant huffed with frustration. "You don't have to be so mean... Everybody thinks you're in love with her. 

"And who, exactly, is _everybody_ , Revenant?" 

"Daddy, and the other teachers at your school, and Miss Bella, and Mister Cu, and Mister Janne, and Minette, and Bismarck." 

"... Bismarck is a cat, Revenant." 

"Cats can talk. Minette told me so." 

"Then tell her to stop telling you nonsense, too. There's nothing romantic between Aimee and I." He said it with a certain cold demeanor, and rude attitude, which quickly made the child pout and look away. It was weird, how easily he could hide his feelings. On the outside, he didn't seem to have a problem with only being friends with Aimee, but on the inside, it pained him deeply to remind himself of what he could never have. A real relationship with her. It must've shown in his face, even if only for a moment, because Revenant looked at him, with an expression that almost seemed concerned. Angelo quickly retrieved his spatula, cut a slice of cake, and set it on a small plate, serving it to the child. 

"... Are you okay, Mister Angelo?" 

"..." He picked up his mug of tea and busied himself with going through his recipe book. Revenant watched him, waiting for a response. When we realized he wouldn't get one, he frowned and slowly made himself start eating his cake. Aimee walked back into the room, now in black sweatpants and a gray, cropped t-shirt. She sat down at the table, and almost instantly, Angelo cut her a slice and gently set the plate in front of her. 

"Thanks, darlin'!" She gave her signature smile and quickly began to eat. He watched her, a small, gentle smile forming on his face, as he expectantly waited for a response as to how it tasted. She was his official taste-tester, and she was more than happy to try anything he made in the kitchen. As she swallowed the first bite of the red velvet cake he had made, her smile grew, and she hummed contently, which was usually a good sign. 

"... Is it good, Aimee?" He sat down, putting his head in his hands, watching her. 

Aimee's shoulders bounced with delight as she nodded. "It's great, darlin'!" Angelo nodded, with a content smile resting on his face. He hadn't even realized it, but he watched her eat the rest of the slice, and then get another. Revenant noticed this, and spoke up. 

"Why're you watching Miss Aimee eat, Mister Angelo?" The boy watched him, and Aimee's gaze fell on him, as Angelo blushed a deep shade of red and quickly tried to recollect himself, fumbling over words like a baby. A mischievous grin grew on Aimee's face as Angelo continued trying to think of what to say. 

"I-I wasn't trying to watch her, Revenant, I was..." He took a quick glance at the space in the room behind them. "... I was reading the calendar!"

"All the way from here?" Aimee's grin remained in place. 

"Yes, anyone could read the calendar from here." 

"Anyone in general, yeah, but don't ya need yer glasses, darlin'?" 

He lost more of his usual gracefulness as he scoffed and tried to come up with another response. "W-Well, I bought contacts." 

"Oh, didja now, darlin'?" Her grin had grown more, and Revenant was playfully and childishly chuckling from his seat. 

"Yes. I did." Angelo nodded and began putting the cake away, so he'd be busy, and he wouldn't have to be looking them both in the face. His cheeks were almost as dark as the red velvet cake he was storing in the fridge. The redness on his face only increased when he heard Aimee and Revenant laugh from behind him. Those two were nothing but trouble when they were together. Overcome with embarrassment, he hurriedly excused himself from the room, and left, into his own bedroom. Revenant continued laughing happily, but Aimee had stopped, and watched Angelo leave, a feeling of guilt rushing through her. 

"... I'mma go talk to 'im, Rev."

"What can I do while you're gone, Miss Aimee?"

She thought for a moment, before hopping out of her seat. "... You can go play with Oreo." Aimee pointed to a black and white cat sitting on the back of the sofa. The cat looked at the two, and quietly licked its paw. 

"Oh! Oh!" Revenant hopped out of his chair with excitement. "Can I make a card of Oreo, to give to Minette and Bizzy, so they know Oreo's doing well?" 

"'Course ya can, Rev. Yer so thoughtful." She smiled at him and ruffled up his hair, which made him laugh. The two quickly hugged, and then parted. Revenant picked up Oreo, and paraded around the living room with the feline. Aimee went into the small hallway, and knocked on the second to last door on the left side. 

"... Not now, Revenant." Angelo responded. He didn't sound too happy. 

"... Does that mean I can come in, since I ain't Revenant?" 

There was a moment of silence, and then, the wooden door was gently pushed open, just enough to be cracked. Aimee stepped inside, and shut the door as she entered. Angelo was seated on his bed, reading through the recipes in his book, all of which he had proudly named himself. 

"Hey, darlin'." She spoke in a gentle voice, and took a seat on the floor, looking up at him. 

"... Hey, Aimee." His voice and tone was much colder, and far more aloof. He hadn't meant for it to sound that, in fact, he almost winced at the sound of his own voice. Quietly, he beat himself up, in his mind, for not being able to express himself better. 

"... Sorry if Rev and I went a little too far earlier."

"It's fine, Aimee." 

"We were gunna go back out soon, and go see Kitty and Bizzy. You wanna come with?" 

"No, thank you." 

"... Bella and Cu'll be there, too." 

"... I'll pass, Aimee." 

"I want you to be there." She watched him. The words hadn't actually left her mouth, they were simply in her head, and on the tip of her tongue. Rather than asking what she wanted to, she reluctantly got up and brushed herself off. "... Alright, then, darlin'. I'll talk to you later." 

He could've sworn he saw her frown as she left the room, closing the door behind herself. 

He flipped to a page in his book, with a photo. The picture was just held in place with a paper clip. It was a photo of her. Well, all of their friends, together, but he only had eyes for her. If only it was as easy to say, "I want you to be mine, Sugarcake," as it was to think it and feel it. 

 


	2. Falling Raindrops

The puddles lying on the sidewalks had small splash-like ripples in them from the rain drops continuing to fall. The sky was cloudy, filled with grey gloominess. It had been raining for hours, non-stop. This was the perfect weather to stay inside and read, or watch a movie, or play a board game, or even take a nap, but one woman decided it was the perfect weather to spend the day outside. 

She always enjoyed being outside. She'd grown up being exposed to nature constantly, and as a child, in her free time, would roam through the forests, fascinated by any animals or beautiful plants she discovered. Today was only different because that energy, and that love for the outdoors, was now in the city, rather than the woods. She wasn't dressed for the rainy weather in the slightest. At all. In fact, she'd chosen to wear a black crop top, with tank-top sleeves, and green pants, with pink flowers on them. No jacket, no umbrella, and no rain boots. The shoes of the woman with the long, white-blonde hair, brown skin, and red eyes, were black boots with heels. 

The small splashes in the puddles lying on the sidewalk were completely out-shined by the bigger splashes caused by Aimee as she ran through them. 

Even though the puddles' water drenched the bottom of her pants, she continued smiling, and continued running down the sidewalk. It was mostly empty, likely because it was raining, and it was a Saturday, so not many people had to be out. She loved that. A whole world to herself. She kept going, passing book stores, coffee shops, apartment buildings, shopping centers... Nothing was stopping her today. She was on her way to get something very special. 

For him. 

Her, "Darlin'." 

At least, that was what she liked to call him. 

The two were nearly polar opposites. She was loud, and full of life. She had a loud laugh, and a bright smile, and when she was angry, the whole world knew to stay clear of her with that mean gaze of hers. She had almost no filter, and it was so bad that when she visited Geist's place, he kept a swear jar out for her. She had to pay in coins. By the time she left, it'd be filled with at least five dollars. When she was with Revenant at her own place, or at a park, or getting lunch with him as she babysat him, she made sure to carry coins and candy in her pockets. The perfect bribes to give to a child to convince him to not tell his father that you said the F-word and the S-word at least five times while you were out. 

Speaking of babysitting, despite her tendency to use less-than-child-friendly words, and her rambunctious attitude, she made a great babysitter. She could connect with kids. She knew how to talk to them, and how to be on the same level of them. She knew how to play with kids, and how to discipline them, and she could keep Revenant entertained for hours with a wide variety of games to play from Hide and Seek to racing around the playground. 

Going back to her love for nature, she didn't mind animals, and she didn't mind getting a bit dirty. If she fell, so what? A little dirt on her pants couldn't kill her. She wasn't scared of bugs, not even spiders, or bees, and she enjoyed gardening. She had small plants growing on the windowsill in the share house. Purple, red, pink, yellow, and blue flowers. She took care of them everyday. She just naturally had a green thumb. She also couldn't cook, nor did she have the neatest hand writing, but she could draw fairly well, and had a knack for engineering. Whenever something had broken around the house, Aimee was the go-to person to help. 

But Angelo, her, "Darlin'," was different. 

He had a softer, velvet-like voice, and his laugh had a far more conceited tone to it. Rarely did he smile brightly, beaming, like Aimee or Revenant would. Rather, it'd be a small smirk when he was complimented. When he got angry, he had an almost stuck-up attitude, so people stayed away, not because they were afraid, but because they didn't wanna deal with it. You never had to worry about Angelo cursing, in fact, Aimee had only ever heard him curse once, and it was when he nearly burned himself whilst cooking one time, years ago. He also wasn't one for kids at all. They were loud, messy, annoying, and he certainly didn't have the patience to deal with them. 

Angelo also wasn't one much for nature. He had golden blond hair, often tied into a ponytail, fair skin, ocean blue eyes, and his outfits were always kept tidy. Not a single wrinkle or stain. He wasn't going to let something like dirt or pollen ruin his perfect fashion choices, and besides, he couldn't keep a plant alive for more than two weeks. Don't even get him started on bugs. _Especially_ spiders and bees. Both made him freak out, which greatly embarrassed him, and when one of the two got into the house, Aimee was always the person to escort them back outside.

He was a very skilled cook, and prided himself on being a skilled patissier. His handwriting was always neatly done in cursive, and he couldn't draw at all, nor could he manage any sorts of technological remedies when something broke around the house. One thing the two did have in common, though, was the fact that they loved each other. Deeply. Head over heels. 

Angelo would never admit that most of his pastries that ended up being shared among their roommates were really only for her, and Aimee could get a little embarrassed whenever Bella noticed that she'd spend a whole class looking at him from across the room, but the two wouldn't just say that. They wouldn't out right admit their feelings. Angelo wouldn't tell anybody about his feelings, as obvious as they were. 

As Aimee came to a stop outside of a grocery store, and approached the glass door with a black border, which automatically opened as it detected her presence, she realized something that immediately soured her mood. She couldn't tell her feelings to him. Her smile gradually formed a frown, and she forced herself into the building so anybody walking by wouldn't clearly see the negative change in her mood. Quickly, she navigated through the isles, her heels clicking against the marble floor, as she looked for what she needed. 

That was another difference between the two. Angelo couldn't admit his feelings to anybody. Aimee could admit her feelings to everybody _but_ Angelo. She could spend hours telling Minette and Bella about Angelo, and didn't mind when even Janne, of all people, asked if she saw something in the blue-eyed, blonde-haired boy, but she was so afraid that admitting her love would ruin their friendship that she didn't say anything. At least if she stayed quiet, they'd still be close friends. If she told him she was in love with him, and he didn't feel the same, that could potentially create an awkward tension, thus driving the two apart. Now, that was just her own paranoia talking to her, but it was strong enough to keep her from telling Angelo the truth. Unfortunately. 

As she picked up the dark, glass bottle, of vanilla extract (a special brand, that Angelo insisted he couldn't cook without), she wondered how long she'd have to feel like this. At some point, she'd have to tell him, and get over his rejection, right? She stood in place, looking over the label on the bottle repeatedly. She'd seen it a million times. All Angelo ever did was bake. Aimee had memorized every brand of every ingredient he used years ago. The bottle was no bigger than the palm of her hand, and when used, it really only contributed a drop or two to an overall pastry, but regardless, it was a necessity. She knew he had run out, and figured this would be the perfect gift. It'd make him smile, and it'd make him think well of her. But as she walked back down the isle, towards the cash registers, and got in line, she looked at the bottle in her hand. 

What was the point of trying to please him if he wasn't going to commit to her? 

Surely, she'd gotten away with enough to show she liked him, right? When she first began calling him, "darling," it seemed awkward at first, but she realized he wasn't stopping her. He just let it happen at this point. By now, it was almost concerning when she _didn't_ address him as that. But was that him letting her do it because he loved the nickname and loved her, or was that him letting her do it because he just didn't want to break her heart? 

"... Aimee?" The sound of an older man's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She assumed she'd been frowning and looking rather down, because he looked worried about her. "What's the matter?" 

"Ah, nothin', nothin'." She quickly tried to smile, to assure him that she was alright, but she knew full well that it wasn't going to work. The older man with curly, black hair, and a white coat on put a hand on her shoulder. It was Geist. Had he been in front of her, in line, this whole time? She hadn't noticed. 

"Aimee, I know something's bothering you. Let's talk." 

"..." She let her frown return, and sighed. "... Alright, Mister Grace. I s'ppose I ain't got much of a way to get around talkin' it out, huh?" 

"Nope." He shook his head, and offered a comforting smile. It almost pained her to smile back in response, given the heartbroken feelings she was going through, but she did her best to return the happy expression on his face. The two paid for their groceries, and took a seat outside. Near the front of the store, tables were set up, just for people to relax at throughout the day. The rain had ceased, but cold gusts of wind blew by, making Aimee shiver. She hadn't realized it was this chilly out when she first got to the store. Geist was kind enough to let her wear his coat while the two were out. 

"So," He began, "What's got you so down today?" 

"... It's about him." She set the bottle of vanilla extract on the table. "I think you know, and I know, and the whole damn world knows by now how I feel about 'im." 

"... You confessed your feelings to him?" He sounded almost hopeful. To be frank, him, and all of their friends were just tired of Aimee and Angelo not being a couple already despite their terribly obvious feelings for each other. 

"No, 'course not." She chuckled solemnly. "Mista' Grace, I can't do that. I know he's not gunna feel the same way. Up 'til now, it'd just been a crush on him, and that ain't bother me too much, but... We're gettin' older. Before we know it, we'll be outta college, and he either will, or won't be with me. I don't wanna leave 'im behind once we all graduate, but, like..." She set her chin on the table and looked at the ground. 

"... 'M tired of keeping it secret. It's gone on for too long for 'im to not know how I feel. And before I know it, I won't have a chance with 'im. He'll have moved on to some other girl, or graduated, and moved halfway 'cross the planet, and I'll just be lonely. And bored outta my mind. And Iunno if that's better, or worse, than admittin' my feelings to 'im and havin' my heart shattered into a ba-jillion pieces." 

"And how do you know that he won't feel the same way?" 

"Why would he?" 

"Why wouldn't he?" 

"There's a million girls out there, for him, that I'd bet would have a better chance with 'im." 

"I don't think that's true, Aimee. That may be how you feel, but that's very far from the truth."

"Then what's the truth?" 

"The truth of the matter is that he cares very deeply about you. I've never seen you this down before. I understand that the whole situation's probably stressing you out, and taking a mean jab at your confidence, but... You could ask anybody. Bella, Cu, even Janne. They'd all agree with me. I think the fact that Angelo has allowed you to call him, "Darling," this many times is a good sign." 

"He's just tryna spare my feelings." 

"And what about when he watches you from the other side of the classroom, and gets that deep blush on his face when he sees you smile and hears you laugh? Or when he goes out of his way to bake cakes and cookies for you? The ones you bring to class nearly everyday? He almost looks hurt when you politely offer them to everyone else. He made those just for you." 

"... You're just sayin' that." 

"No, I mean it, Aimee. I wouldn't lie to you. Especially about something as important to you as this. If you still don't believe me, think back to when you were sick. The only time I've ever seen you without your usual energy, other than now. When you collapsed, he panicked. I thought he'd have a heart attack when you took more than five seconds to wake up. Not to speak badly of him, but I assure you he wouldn't have stayed at the hospital for as long as he did for anybody else, to make sure they were alright. He wouldn't leave the room until the doctors said you could go home." 

"... So, you really think--" 

"I really _know_ that he loves you, Aimee. Just as much as you love him. If you're truly worried about missing your chance to potentially have a relationship with him, I think right now is the perfect time to tell him." 

 "Right now?"

"Mhm. Right now." 

"Like... _Right now_ , right now?" 

"Yeah, right now." 

"Like, right this second--" She broke into a laugh as Geist playfully ruffled her hair. 

"Yes, right now. This is where Revenant gets all his silliness from." He shook his head and chuckled. "I need to go pick him up from Minette's place. I'll see you again soon, okay? Best of luck to you." 

"Thanks, Mister Grace. I appreciate it a whole lot. More than ya know." 

"It's my pleasure." The two hugged and then parted ways. Geist returned to his car in the nearly empty parking lot, as Aimee began running again. Now, however, she was more motivated than before. As quickly as she could, she ran back up the sidewalks and smiled as the rain picked up again. Upon returning to their share house, she quickly unlocked the front door, kicked her shoes off so they messily laid on the floor, and ran into the living room. 

"Ang'! Angelo!" She ran to his bedroom door and pounded one of her fists against it, as the other held onto the bottle she had just bought. In a hurry, a rather concerned Angelo opened the door. 

"Aimee!? What's the matter!?" Now, he was already startled when he heard her, of all people, address him by his real name. The slamming against the door just sent him into a panic. 

"Nothin'!" She smiled, and shoved the vanilla extract into one of his hands. 

"... I... Did you buy this for me?" 

"Mhm! And..." A surge of anxiety pulsed through her, before she took a deep breath. 

"I need to tell ya somethin', Darlin'. Somethin' real important, that I've been keepin' from ya for a while now." 

"... What's wrong?" 

Aimee gave him a confident smile, and slipped her hand into his free hand, blushing lightly. "Nothin's wrong. Just hear me out." 

"Alright..." 

"... I'm in love with ya." 


End file.
